The Survival University
With a convenient and easy to get to location in central Colorado, featuring experienced resident instructors and a vast network of seasoned guest instructors from all over the country, we can provide you with all the survival training you could ever want or need!
Owned by Colorado Mountain Man Survival, LLC
Aaron "Hutch" Hutchings / Youth Outreach and Colorado Survival Instructor
Aaron Hutchings is a Colorado native, veteran, and father of four. He was raised in the Rocky Mountains by a real mountain man and hunting guide he called Grandpa. His love for adventure was first sparked by his grandfather’s teaching and stories. This spark was blown into flame in the Boy Scouts and fanned to a full-on bonfire in the Marine Corps.
Hutch was honored to serve with Special Operations K9 both pre and post 9/11. Because he was K9, Hutch had the privilege of attending several schools, federal and private, that many servicemen would not normally get to attend. It also sent him on many missions ranging from extremely dangerous to just flat out amazing. The Corps is huge on pulling people out of the field occasionally, especially during war, to teach real world things they have learned. It was during a course with Special Operations Training Group that Hutch realized he loved to teach. This lead Hutch to seize the opportunity to train and teach unique skill sets in multiple environments.
After completing courses with some of the most recognized outdoor programs in the country, such as Willow Haven Outdoor (Creek Stewart), Sigma 3 Survival School (Justin Sage Williams/Josh Hamlin), and Pathfinder School (Dave Canterbury), Hutch understood that most outdoor enthusiasts can’t afford the time or expense of travelling the country to acquire the diverse skills offered by multiple schools. This sparked the idea of becoming a lifetime student and full-time instructor. Hutch’s incredible generosity, broad skill set, and hilarious storytelling allows adventurers, regardless of background or experience level, to have a truly unique experience in the wild.
Most recently Hutch has been an assistant teacher for the instructor program at Sigma 3 Survival University in Missouri and a lead instructor for kids classes and K9 classes for Mountain Marrow experiential learning. He also has had the honor of teaching online classes for his friend and teacher, Creek Stewart, on Outdoorcore.com. Hutch is honored to be included among the list of professional instructors teaching at The Survival University and began to join the team at the end of 2019. His short-term goals are to go through the Survival University instructor program and continue to train with the best he can find to fine tune his skills and teaching and to head a full throttle children’s program based on introducing real life skills in a nonthreatening, fun, and memorable fashion to help prepare future generations for their adventures and to be their own heroes.
Hutch believes that we can all relearn the skills of our ancestors and adapt them to fine tune our modern skills and tools. Whether you are a descendant of the Vikings, Native Americans, Picts, or other honorable people, one thing is undeniable: none of us would be here if our ancestors were not survivors. One does not have to be a Green Beret to enjoy the outdoor skills and life that they provide. In fact, most of the things taught to the elite forces around the world have merely been lost to time and used to be common practice to children 5 years and older. The younglings would learn skills now typically reserved for the highest trained individuals as parts of day-to-day games and stories. It is important to focus on these past skills and teaching styles and apply them to our modern adventures. The only thing Hutch likes more than adventuring is helping others to begin on their own path.
Style: a mix of military methods and those taught by my grandfather.
Mission: My intention is to help people to train to be their own hero and to help them be able to provide for themselves and those they love in any situation and environment. The real goal is to help you reconnect with the skills and strength of your ancestors.
Philosophy: Sometimes a teacher, always a student.
Personal Motto: No emergency or zombies needed, this stuff is just cool to know.
Military history: Veteran in the USMC, mainly serving in Special Operations and Special Reaction Teams K9.
Specialty skills: (Some but not all)
-Tracking and scouting with K9 -CQB (Close Quarter Battle skills)
-Counter sniper operations -Search and Rescue
-Primitive fire techniques -Customs and border patrol
-Explosive detection -Primitive navigation techniques
-Wildcrafter (edible and medicinal plants) -Bowyer course (bow making)
-Operations against guerrilla units -Scout knife-only survival
-Antiarmor operations -Natural Cordage and its uses
-Basic forward observation procedures -USMC hand to hand instructor
-Primitive containers and their uses -Secret Clearance obtained
-Modern and primitive shelters and how to enjoy them
-Primitive methods of food procurement
-Water procurement and purification techniques
Certifications: (Some but not all)
-Monadnock Defensive Tactics System
-Military working dog handler course
-USMC Marine Corps Martial Arts Program Instructor
-American Red Cross Community CPR
-Safe and Tactical driving program EVOC
-Associates Degree of Science
-Sigma 3 Survival Certified Instructor level 1
-Wingate University School of Pharmacy Doctoral Candidate (incomplete)
-Healthcare Provider CPR and AED
